Mahamrityunjaya Mantra

Rishi Markand had a son named Markendeya. Rishi Markand noted that his son Markendeya had a short span of life. So he told Markendeya to pray to Lord Shiva with the Mahamrityunjay Mantra. With intense devotion, Markendya prayed by reciting the mantra all day, every day. With the grace of Lord Shiva his life span increased. With the blessings of Lord Shiva, he also became a Rishi. Later, Rishi Markendeya wrote the ”Markendeya Puran”.

Mantras are sound formulas for certain effects. They may have some meaning or may have only sound without any known meaning. It is a practice to end the formula from where it started; thereby, the flow of nadi energy in the body is joined with its originating nadi and the flow is not frittered away. All mantras begin with Aum. They may end with Aum, or Samarpayami. However, some follow this practice, some don’t. The following is the full mantra.